Climate Change, Resources, and Refugees: The Multifaceted Nature of Displaced People in a Modernized World and the Case of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh

By: Hallie Bereday

April 19, 2021

Virtual Spring 2021 REWA Student Symposium

It is well established that the Rohingya people experience persecution on the basis of their religion. However, additional factors may have contributed to their flight and merit further study. This paper examines the extent to which climate change, economics, and environmental degradation played a role in Rohingya migration. Furthermore, it advocates that international law expand to protect refugees impacted by any of these aspects. Finally, this research delves into international treaties and agreements, including the 2018 Global Refugee Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals, and assesses how these mechanisms could provide frameworks to legitimize climate refugees.

​Bibliography

Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. Towards a Peaceful, Fair and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine: Final Report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. Advisory Commission on Rakhine State (2017).

Bandur, Marcel. “Climate Justice in the Rohingya Crisis.” Transboundary Environmental Commons in Southeast Asia (August 6, 2018).

Banerjee, Reshmi. “Climate Change: A Permanent Reality for Myanmar.” Tea Circle (November 2, 2017).

Haung Nyoi, Muk Yin, Anna Colquhoun, and Henning Goransson Sandberg. How the People of Myanmar Live with Climate Change and What Communication Can Do. Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (2017).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark. Development Engagement Document Denmark-Myanmar Country Programme 2018 – 2023 Climate Adaptation in Coastal Communities of Myanmar: Improved Management of Mangrove Forests. Embassy of Denmark, Myanmar (August 2017).

Thomas, Alice. Field Report: Accelerating Threats from Climate Change: Disasters and Displacement in Myanmar. Refugees International (December 2016).

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Global Compact on Refugees – Booklet.” UNHCR (2018).

comments powered by Disqus
Opens in a new window